Road Trip
by HallowRain8587
Summary: After the war Andromeda Tonks, Narcissa Malfoy and Teddy Lupin take a muggle type trip to various countries all over the world. Disclaimer: I do not own the characters and only am giving them something else to do. AU/EWE
1. Prologue

Prologue

August 1994

"Andromeda, you need to start planning for my leaving," urged Ted Tonks. The 1994 World Cup had just ended with a riot targeting muggles and the Morsmordre cast into the sky. Ted was a Muggleborn Hufflepuff and the love of Andromeda Black's life. "They say that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is being resurrected soon. When that happens, you will be safer if I am gone."

"Please, don't talk like that, Ted," his worried wife plead. "We will be fine."

"No, Meda, we will not be fine. They will come for me and kill me. If you and Nymphadora are here, they will kill you also."

"Then what are we to do? I assume you have a plan if you already are thinking about it."

"I began years ago, but now is the time to step it up. Remember how I told you to save your inheritance from your uncle Alphard." She nodded. "Now is the time to start investing."

Sirius Black had received a large inheritance from him, but there was a five hundred-thousand bequest to Andromeda which she had saved. She had given it over to Ted and the Goblins at Gringotts for keeping. "Are you saying that it is all gone?"

"No, I'm saying that we have been investing it a small amount at a time in the largest company in the Wizarding World."

"Not Malfoy Potions and Pharmaceuticals? Have you been giving my money to Lucius?"

"Not giving your money to Lucius, Dear. We have been giving him loans when he was short and taking shares in the company when he missed payments. We own approximately 25 percent, but now is the time to start investing more. He's starting to slip, though by giving more and more time to the return of his leader. There were a few years when the leader was thought to be dead that Lucius did a lot of research and expansion. The last couple of years he has backed off on research and totally on the expansion and we have been paying off the previous expansion loans. If we continue with it and begin funding the research, we can improve exponentially. We will continue to invest under the corporate name, ABT Inc."

"Why aren't you included in the corporate name, Ted?"

"Because it is your inheritance. I know I should have talked to you about this, but you would have protested. I'll work with the Goblins to give you a crash course in investments, but they have good instincts for how to get the most gold because they get a commission. Money is everything to them."

June 1998

"Hush little baby, don't say a word," Andromeda sang to her two-month-old grandson as she rocked him and fed him a bottle.

There was a knock on the door and a voice called out, "Andromeda, are you there?"

"I'm here, Harry," she answered. "Please, come on in."

He entered the sitting room and approached them and kissed the cheek of the woman and the head of the baby. "Pour yourself a cup of tea and have a biscuit. Please sit down." She continued rocking the baby. "What brings you around?

"I have a proposal for you because Rangnok at Gringotts says you can be discrete."

"He's been talking out of school. I thought we had an arrangement," she said quietly. "Okay, Harry, why has he been talking to you."

Harry went on to explain, "I have been working with the acting Minister on the trials and retributions. They have been seizing property to pay for the rebuilding and aiding displaced witches, wizards and muggles." Andromeda held her breath and waited for the next shoe to drop. "Imagine their surprise when they found out that 62 percent of Malfoy Potions and Pharmaceuticals was not owned by the Malfoy family, but by ABT Inc. In fact, the Malfoys have not had a majority of the company for a couple of years." Harry quirked an eyebrow, then went on. The trials begin in a couple of days and I was wondering if you could help me."

"What can I do for you, Harry?" Andromeda asked, ignoring the previously unasked question.

"I'm going to testify for Draco and Mrs. Malfoy at their trials, therefore, I cannot vote with the Wizengamot. I need a couple of fair proxies."

"Couple of proxies?" Andromeda asked. "I know you are the heir to the Potter Family seat, but who else?"

"Noble and Most Ancient House of Black," Harry stated. "Does that ring a bell?"

"How did that happen?" she inquired. "I thought the line had died out."

"When Regulus died the line may not have died. He must not have been formally declared the heir to replace Sirius because once Sirius was out of Azkaban, the house elf responded to him. Sirius was able to enter the family home unimpeded even though the had been blasted from the Tapestry. Hell, you were able to enter for the Order meetings in spite of what Wallburga's portrait said. The Ministry records never showed Regulus as heir, nor did the vaults and Goblins at Gringotts. Back to the topic, I would like you to serve as permanent proxy for the Black seat until Teddy is old enough.

"Oh, Harry, I am honored!" she exclaimed. "Who is your Potter proxy?"

"I've asked Professor Sprout to serve during the trials. When I am not available due to Auror training in the future, I've asked Professor McGonagall. I will not appoint a permanent proxy for the Potter seat since I plan on marrying and producing an heir sometime in the future."

"That seems sensible," she agreed.

"Next, I want to talk to you about the Black vaults and properties." Then he asked, "Are you aware of the extent of the vaults?"

"Extensive."

"More than extensive. It is unreal. I need to keep a majority of the Black holdings to retain the Black title and pass it along. I plan on passing it to Teddy when he is old enough, so until then I will keep 52 percent of the Black holdings. I am dividing the other 48 percent between you, Narcissa, Draco, and Teddy. I will be giving you yours as soon as we can go to Gringotts. You can either access the vaults or transfer money. If you want to wait until Narcissa and Draco are free and the ministry cannot confiscate the Black legacy, you can. Personally, I think they have gone overboard and taken entirely too much from some families."

"What do you mean?"

"When Parkinson was sent to Azkaban for ten years last week, 90 percent of his holdings were confiscated. Pricilla was given house arrest with no magic, but they have warded off her house to deny entry by her or her children, except for the kitchen, drawing room and downstairs loo."

"Where can she sleep? Eat? Bathe?" Andromeda was horrified.

"The furniture was left exactly as it was, so she has two sofas and a loveseat along with the five easy chairs and straight chairs and assorted tables to sleep on. There is no shower in the loo, which was pointed out, but ignored by the Wizengamot when sentencing was passed."

"What about the girls?" Andromeda worried.

"Pansy is sentenced to return to Hogwarts and complete her N.E.W.T. s and then she will have six months of community service. She is to live at home until school starts and then remain there until she is finished. She will have to return home when she is done. Poppy will be starting her first year at Hogwarts and only has to return home for the summer. Pricilla's community service will be twelve months. And then she will be free."

"That is not right. They should have either moved her to alternate housing or given her more rooms to occupy."

"No, it is not right. Some of us are doing what we can do. Hermione has reorganized S.P.E.W., which she started in school."

Andromeda thought a moment then asked, "What's spew?"

"Not spew. It is S.P.E.W., Society for the Promotion of Elvish Welfare. She researched the sentencing wording once the first sentence to house arrest was set down and discovered a loop-hole. The person sentenced to have their magic bound and perform no magic has nothing in their sentencing that says others cannot perform magic for them. Strange they cannot read the _Profit_ , but someone can apparate them."

"Interesting." She arose and took the sleeping baby to his room and returned. "What do the elves have to do with it?"

"The elves were going to all be set free until Hermione intervened and said they would die if not bound. She said pureblooded Wizengamot members should know this, or maybe they did but didn't care about sentient beings. She was able to argue that she would take them and bind them to S.P.E.W. and send them to help wizards and witches needing help. She showed them children without parents and nobody to watch them; she showed them adults needing constant medical care; she showed them families of Muggleborns rebuilding their homes from nothing and unable to make insurance claims. It was quite a heartbreaking presentation and they voted unanimously to allow her to bond all elves that were confiscated that chose not to work for Hogwarts or the ministry to S.P.E.W. It seems that elves can be bound to organizations as well as families. As head of S.P.E.W. Hermione is their "mistress" and can assign them tasks. She can also ask the elves to obey others as necessary, like Lucius being the Master of the Malfoy elves, but extension when Narcissa married him or Draco as heir to the Ancient House of Malfoy."

"And can you order Black elves about?"

"Sad to say, most have died," Harry responded. "There's only Kreacher left. We think that as long as Sirius was alive in Azkaban he would have survived, but there wasn't enough wizarding energy to keep the rest alive."

Harry went on, "Hermione is trying to assign one or two of the family elves back to their original families, for the health and comfort of both parties. She is doing this discretely so the Wizengamot will not close the loop-hole. Starving those under house arrest to death or their living in firth are two of the things that Hermione worries about. She is also concerned that if they are left totally alone in some cases, with only the Aurors popping in and out to search the properties and remove objects, some will go crazy. This is why I need you to be my proxy. You need to make certain the loop-hole remains in the standard sentencing agreement."

"So, how's Pricilla holding up?" Andromeda remembered her from her youth.

"Hermione has assigned Maize and Herb to taking care of the Parkinsons. When Hermione visited it was awkward until she suggested the Aurors check to see if the back garden would be included in accessibility. Don't know why they always come and go in pairs, but it was to Hermione's advantage. While they were out, she changed the sofas into muggle hide-a-beds and the kitchen pantry into a shower hidden behind the shelves of food. She also added an alarm to notify them when someone was coming. The Aurors came back and said that the porch could be accessed by the Parkinson women, but not the lawn. When she left, she pulled Pansy aside under the pretext of talking about getting hers and Poppy's books for the school term and told her to expect the elves to come and teach them about cooking and cleaning and keep them from sight when the Aurors were about the place. Hermione said that she had never seen Pansy hug anyone else so tight except Draco in fourth year."

"How was Hermione not sorted into Slytherin?"

"Muggleborn, although the hat considered it and Ravenclaw. She was nearly a hat-stall."

"What about Teddy when I'm sitting with the Wizengamot?" Andromeda clearly didn't want to be separated from her grandson.

"Molly says that she needs something different to think about and has agreed to come with you on the days the Wizengamot meets. She will watch him in Arthur's Office while you are in meetings. She is also spending time with Fred at St. Mungo's, but since he is still in a coma, there's little to do but sit. The Weasleys are taking turns to he is never alone with only the hospital staff around him."

"That won't be too much for her, will it?"

Harry laughed, "No, I swear she thrives on caregiving. It seems to make her stronger."


	2. 1 January 1999

**The characters in this story belong to J.K. Rowling. AU/EWE**

* * *

 **1 January 1999**

"What do you think, Harry?" asked Andromeda Tonks. She had just presented her idea of an adventure to the Godfather of her grandson.

"Do you think she will be up for that long of an adventure," Harry Potter replied, "especially with a toddler in tow?"

"We won't know until we ask, will we?"

"I think the idea has merit, especially since she is no longer under house arrest, but cannot use magic for the next eighteen months." Harry said, thinking over the proposition.

"That's what I was thinking. Also, Draco has another six months in Hogwarts before he needs to do his year of community service." Andromeda went on, "I have talked with the Ministry of Magic and they are fine with it. I think they think I will be a sort of probation officer, but the way we will be travelling will take care of the loss of her wand and binding of her magic. Teddy is the wild card here."

"What are you going to do about his blue hair?"

"Hats outside and wigs if we are out in public. I have been trying them out and he seems to like the funny ones that I put on him. Hopefully the novelty won't wear off soon." She looked across the room at the young wizard rocking the baby. "I know you'll miss him, but you are only getting away from training to see him every six to eight weeks. With your training schedule, you don't have a lot of time to visit for the next couple of years. We can make arrangements to be here when you're free."

"Andromeda, I don't want to play the age card, but will this be too much for you?" Harry sheepishly asked.

She laughed and then said, "Oh, come on Harry. I'm only in my forties. I still could have children of my own if I were to have sex."

Harry appropriately blushed. "On that note I think I should be going. I'm meeting Ron for dinner at the Burrow, then we're back to training."

"You only want Molly's cooking," she accused in a teasing manner.

"Yeah!" He rose and handed the sleeping boy back to his grandmother. "Owl me where you are and what you are doing, okay?"

"I will. It will be fun, wait and see."

* * *

After putting the baby down in his crib, Andromeda went to the floo to make the call. She had been communicating with her sister since Narcissa Malfoy's trial and home incarceration. It had been awkward at first, but the sisterly friendship and love that had been there during their childhood had returned. Now they felt the comradery that had been there in their childhood.

"Cissy, are you there?" Andromeda asked.

Narcissa snarked, "Where else would I be?"

"How about a road trip?"

"You've got to be kidding."

"Nope, I'm dead serious."

"No, you are not dead Sirius. He's in the veil." Narcissa quipped back. Her black mood breaking as she made the terrible joke.

Not missing a beat Andromeda quipped back, "At least I didn't say I was deadly serious."

"Too true. Now what's this about a road trip?"

Andromeda began to explain her plan and the preparations she had made. "I have talked with the Ministry and you will be free at 8 o'clock tomorrow in the morning as long as they know where you are. I asked if I could take you on a road trip by muggle means, of course, and they have agreed that it meets the letter of your probation. I went to Gringotts and transferred enough Galleons to pounds in Barclays to cover our expenses. There is a letter on file with the goblins to transfer more if we should run low. You know how that works with the plastic and all." She went on as though Narcissa knew what plastic was. "I have gotten your British passport from the Ministry (don't ask how, it involved a couple of spells to expedite things) and purchased tickets on British Airways to New York from Heathrow. We leave day after tomorrow."

"Sometimes I forget that you were a Slytherin, Meda," her sister said. "So, what's the rest of the plan?"

"I will pick you up tomorrow with empty luggage and a muggle outfit for you to wear while we shop for a wardrobe. Molly Weasley will be watching Teddy while we shop."

"Do you think Teddy will travel okay? Babies don't like apparating or floo travel. It makes them queasy."

Meda explained, "I have talked to a pediatrician, a muggle baby doctor, and they have given me Benadryl (a potion) and told me to give him a bottle or pacifier to suck on during take-off and landing. Said we might want chewing gum for our ears. I got first class seats on the airplane for us, so we would have more room and can spread out."

"So, we are going to spend a year in New York?" Cissy asked. "Won't we be bored?"

"No, we are not going to do that," her older sister answered. "We will tour the United States and Canada, then move on the Australia, New Zealand, China, India, the Mediterranean and wherever our whim takes us. When we get back you can finish your six months community service at the same time Draco finishes his and then you both will be free to live your lives."

"Fun touring for a year, then work for six months and not the other way around? How many ministry employees did you _Confund_?" the blonde witch laughed.

"Maybe one or two, but who's counting," she laughed. "See you tomorrow morning at one minute after eight. Wear comfortable shoes. We have a lot of shopping to do."


	3. 2 January 1999

2 January

"Cissy, are you ready?" Andromeda called as she stepped through her sister's floo.

"Up here, Meda," Narcissa called from her bedroom. "Climb the stairs and I'm in the first room on the right. The bedroom was as large as a small flat with a sitting area with easy chairs and a desk near the window across from the door. A king-sized bed was centered on the wall and flanked by night stands to her right as she entered. She didn't see her sister immediately but headed to the left toward the sound of soft thunks as something was being tossed aside. Stepping through the door of a massive dressing room/closet she was met by the sight of a round bottom leaning over a lower shelf and a satin mule flying past her head. "Cissy stop!" she commanded. A black patent T-strap whizzed past. "CISSY," she shouted, "YOU NEARLY BEANED ME!"

"Oh, you're here," Narcissa stated as she turned around and straightened her robe. "I'm looking for the comfortable shoes you told me to wear. I don't seem to have any that do not require a cushioning spell."

Andromeda moved a red pump and a purple peep-toe off the chaise and sat down amid the chaos. "Don't you have some ballerina flats or brogans? I assume you haven't a pair of trainers."

"Why would I need those?" she naively asked. "I'm a Malfoy. We don't walk around like a half-blood or a Muggleborn. We have portkeys, apparation and floos for that. Lucius liked to fantasize when he saw my shoes peeping from beneath my robes."

"Please, don't give me mental pictures of things that stroked your husband's libido." Andromeda reached into her bag and pulled out a pair of tailored slacks, button down shirt, knit waistcoat and a pair of ballerina flats and put them down on the chaise next to her. "Do you have tights?" she muttered, digging into the bag again. "It's cold outside, but I think you have a black or gray cloak with a warming charm build in that will look sufficiently like a winter coat that people will not notice, as long as it is not too ornate.

Sitting on the ottoman, Narcissa reached over ant took a pair tights from the things to be packed into the bag Andromeda brought. She made a face and began scrunching them to pull over her feet. She stood straightening the gathers as she pulled them over her still-flat stomach. Andromeda smirked. Narcissa grabbed the slacks and sat back down. "What?"

"You still look like you did when you were 14 and at Hogwarts," Andromeda complemented. "Nobody looked as fit as the Black sisters back then. Even Bella was a fox."

"Draco and I would escape to his rooms and drink Lucius' best elven wine when we couldn't handle the craziness downstairs any longer. We were looking through old photo album one evening and he said that Bella at Hogwarts was B.C." Narcissa reminisced, "that means before crazy. The more she hung out with the Dark Lord the crazier she became. By the time she was sent to Azkaban, it was too late to salvage her. Azkaban did her no favors. Sometimes I wish we were BAN (the sister's name for their trio made of the first letters of their names) and sitting with the tutor before Hogwarts."

"I know what you mean," Andromeda added. "but I think that she always had a mean streak and it continued being fed until her the breaking point. Muggles would have gotten her counselling the first time she removed the fur from Mother's Kneazle. They say that when a child starts harming animals it is a sign of problems that will only grow as the child grows, especially in puberty."

"That explains a lot. By the time she left Hogwarts, she was crazy beyond help." Narcissa pull the waistcoat down over her hips and straightened the collar of the shirt. She slipped a dainty foot into one of the shoes. Reaching for the other she said, "Cushioning charm. I appreciate you doing it as I'm not allowed to use."

"You are not allowed to PERFORM magic," Andromeda stated. "They are my clothes and I am just lending them to you. That's why I brought the bag, undetectable extension charm included. Thank you. Let's get your underthings and lingerie shrunk and into the bag."

"How did the Ministry agree—"

"Don't ask, I won't have to lie to you and you won't have to lie to them. I did what I had to do to meet the LETTER of your probation. That's what we need." She went on, "The Wizengamot is good on letters and short on subtlety."

Narcissa pulled a black wool cloak with a hood and fur around the hems from the racks of clothing. "How's this?" she asked as she pulled it on and picked up a pair of black leather gloves also rimmed in black fur. She looked every inch a stylish, wealthy Lady, muggle or witch. Andromeda was always impressed with how her sister carried herself.

"Here's a thousand pounds for your cloak and another five hundred for you gloves." Andromeda smirked. "I'm lending them to you since you don't have anything to wear outside in the cold and I was unable to bring you one." She shrunk the bag full of undies and dropped it into her bag. "Let's get downstairs before one of the Aurors gets antsy and comes to see what is taking us so long."

The sisters descended the curved staircase looking every inch the ladies they had been brought up to be. Andromeda paused at the landing and said, "We are leaving now. I assume you will put sufficient wards to protect the house until Draco returns in June. If not, I WILL inform the Minister."

"Yes, Mrs. Tonks," the Auror with Davis embroidered over his left breast replied. "The Minister will be along shortly to perform the final protection wards. We are to remain in the parlor by the open floo until he arrives."

"Very well," she dismissed him and swept past, her cloak swirling with every bit the aplomb that would have made Severus Snape proud. Close on her heels, the second lady made an equally dramatic exit.

"Damn Slytherins," Davis whispered to Thomas, his partner, "they know how to make you feel lesser, even when they are under arrest."

"Don't let the fact that Mrs. Tonks married a muggle-born and had an Auror daughter who was in Hufflepuff fool you. She's as crafty and cunning as the rest of her house," Thomas whispered back.

"Which house, Black or Slytherin?"

"Both." They continued up to check the room the witches had vacated, warded it, and returned to the parlor.

The witches exited through the floo into the front parlor of Andromeda's townhouse. The floo was closed to deny entry without invitation. "We will be having breakfast in the Morning room after I show you to your rooms. Then I will answer all your questions while we have tea," Andromeda explained and lead the way up a staircase off the entry hall. The ladies ascended the staircase to the third floor and stopped on the landing. "My rooms are to the right, normally the Master's quarters, and Teddy's nursery is next to it in what would have been the adjoining Mistress' rooms. Harry's rooms are on the left across the hall and you will have the next rooms on the left. There are two other suites on this floor and the rest of the guest rooms are above us."

They walked down the hall and entered a large sunny room whose centerpiece was a queen-sized bed with pale blue bedding and white and blue pillows near the headboard. The walls were ivory and gold and the drapes a dark blue that would close out all light if one chose to nap during the day. "You have a dressing room with sitting area and a private en suite."

"Too bad I can't stay and enjoy it," Narcissa shrugged off her cloak and took the bag Andromeda offered her.

"You can hang your cloak here or down in the cloak closet by the door, but don't unpack your knickers. We'll just have to pack them again day after tomorrow. I'm going to my room for a moment and will meet you in the Morning room on the first floor at the end of the hall."

"I think I can find it, thanks."

Fifteen minutes later, Narcissa entered the Morning room and crossed to the small table that was set up in the sun. The sheer curtains filtered the brightest rays and fluttered as a gentle breeze flitted through the open window. "Tea or coffee, Cissy?" Andromeda asked.

"Tea, please, with one sugar and a splash of milk."

"We have toast and muffins, or we can get you whatever you would like," Andromeda told her sister as she placed a delicate china cup of tea on the table in front of her.

"Is this the royal we that will be fixing breakfast, or do you have help?" Cissy asked.

"I could fix breakfast, could you? I do have help today-the same help you had for the last year." She rang a bell and a small house elf in a black maid's uniform popped into the room. Andromeda smirked and said, "You didn't think I would have left you stuck in that Mansion with no housekeeping or cooking skills all last year, did you?" Then she addressed the elf, "My sister would like her usual breakfast, please."

The elf returned a moment later to place a plate with a soft cooked egg, a single rasher of bacon, and a slice of toasted multigrain bread with butter and a pot of marmalade in front of Narcissa. "Thank you, Hobby."

The elf popped out of the room. "You said you had some explaining to do. I think there is much more going on than meets the eye," Narcissa said as she picked up her fork. "Start with the elf."

"When you were sentenced to six months house arrest, six months community service, and one year probation, I knew you would be in trouble with no cooking or housekeeping skills. Since Harry didn't want to take the Black seat in the Wizengamot, he assigned his proxy to me. We have been working together. Your sentence includes no use of magic BY YOU for two years. There is no specified order of your second and third parts of your sentence. Therefore, you can do your community service after your probation. The probation must be served in the muggle world. There is no prescription of who can help you, only that YOU don't do magic."

"Remember how I said your sentence says that there is to be no magic done by you. It says nothing about magic for you. That is why I sent Hobby and Bobby to take care of you after the Aurors dropped you off. That's why Hobby insisted you learn to make tea and serve cakes when you were being inspected."

"If I had been left in that horrid place alone, I would have gone quite bonkers," Narcissa said. "It was bad enough being there, but a Mansion with access to four rooms, five if you count the downstairs loo was just creepy. The Aurors were always in and out looking for, finding, and taking away dark objects. The never talked to me. It was like I was part of the woodwork."

"At least you had your bed chambers. Pricilla Parkinson must sleep in the front parlor. She has to use the downstairs loo which has no shower or bath. The other room she can go into is the kitchen. It's harder to hide elves for her."

"Elves? I thought all were confiscated and wondered why I still had two. I didn't ask for fear they would be taken away, too." Narcissa said.

Andromeda chuckled.

"What are you doing? Running an illegal black market for elves?" the blonde witch quirked an eyebrow and asked. "How have you gotten so may elves that you are 'lending' out to the elite who are supposed to be in rehabilitation?"

"They aren't my elves. They were all freed from Death Eater families at the end of the war and have been bound S.P.E.W. They are then hired out to help those who need help. Didn't you notice the uniforms?"

Narcissa asked, "What's spew?"

Andromeda laughed, "Not spew, S.P.E.W. It is the Society for Promotion of Elvish Welfare. It is a corporation that stems from a misguided school project of Herminie's."

At the mention of the young witch who had been tortured on the Mansion's Drawing Room floor by their third sister, Narcissa shuddered. "I thought Draco said she was back at Hogwarts to finish her schooling. I don't remember anything in his letters mentioning her running a corporation."

"She is at school." Andromeda answered. "The story of how Harry is the head of House is more complicated. Harry Potter was named as Sirius Black's heir. When Regulus' died before officially being named the heir to the Noble and Most Ancient House of Black, Sirius remained the heir though Wallburga had blasted him from the tapestry. (Hermione says it has something to do with being named heir to Alphard and though he was blasted from the tapestry it wasn't done until after Alphard's death.) The inheritance and lack of naming another heir left Sirius as heir and was proven when he had access to 12 Grimmauld Place and Kreacher. When Harry was able to summon the Black family elf after Sirius' death it showed that he was not the Head. You know how it is with elves that are bound to families. When there is a new heir that is who they obey. If Harry wasn't the heir, it probably would have been Draco or Teddy, again just guessing on Hermione's part."

"So, Harry is the head of both the Houses of Black and Potter?" Narcissa asked. She was still thinking about the fact that Draco had almost become the Black heir.

"Yes," Andromeda answered, "but he didn't want that much responsibility. He consulted with the Ministry's legal office and found that he needs to retain a majority share of the Black property and he can assign a proxy to sit in the Wizengamot and vote on the Black family's behalf. He assigned the proxy to me and retains the Potter seat. Harry wishes to divide the Black holdings, but he will be doing that after you and Draco have completed your community service in eighteen months. This will insure the monies don't go the way of the Malfoy money. He has given me, and by extension you, access to the Black vaults for our trip."

"Is that where you got the pounds to purchase my cloak, gloves and unmentionables? From Harry?"

"No, the Black vaults. You need some pocket money for incidentals. He told the Goblins that since I was his proxy, I needed to live in a manner befitting a 'Lady Black' and access to the vaults. They agreed. I have transferred a good many Galleons to pounds and into the Barclays Bank so that they are accessible to both of us during our shopping and trip since we will be travelling as muggles."

"Good many Galleons, dear sister?" Narcissa asked, raising a well plucked eyebrow. "How is it that Harry was not sorted into Slytherin? Deviousness and cleverness, I expect from you, but he seems to be equally sly."

"Oh, but he almost was sorted there, but argued for Gryffindor since that was his parents' house. And yes, the good many Galleons, let's just say that we won't run out of money. We will be flying first class and staying in the best hotels. We will hire a nanny from time to time. You know better than to ask. He restored this house mainly so Teddy would have a nice place to stay since the Death Eaters destroyed my home and 12 Grimmauld Place is not a safe place to raise any child. It is one of the Black properties."

"That was never a safe place to raise children. I always hated to have to go over to visit Aunt Wallburga. No wonder Sirius revolted and Regulus ran away."

Andromeda nodded, "You know that you can go visit her if you wish. Aunt Wallburga is on the wall in the entry and yells at everyone, especially me."

"Always the same, even in death." Narcissa was quiet a minute. "On that depressing note, let's talk shopping. It's been ages."


	4. 3 January 1999 part 1

3 January, or, Last Minute Preparations (pt. 1)

Andromeda was up early the next morning. She had a lot of things to do before leaving. After showering and dressing in a tailored suit she went down to breakfast in the Morning Room. She had already fed Teddy and put him back to bed. Offering a prayer for thanks that the boy was now sleeping through the night, she sipped her tea and ate a piece of toast as she scanned through the papers the elf had left for her on the breakfast table. "Hobby," she called. When the diminutive elf appeared, she continued, "Teddy is back to sleep. He can play here in the Morning Room when he wakes. I don't know when Cissy will be up. Please, let her know that I should be back by in a couple of hours with the other lady in our party. We need to have the bags packed by 5 o'clock for the service to pick up and take them to the airport for bag check-in. Our car will be here at 8 in the morning to take us to Heathrow. If you need something call Percy as he will know where I am."

Andromeda finished her tea and went to the floo. After throwing a cloak over her business wear, she tossed a handful of floo powder, clearly announced her destination, and disappeared. Stepping out of the floo in the entry lobby of Malfoy Potions and Pharmaceuticals, she walked briskly to the reception desk. "Tracy, is Mr. Weasley in? Master Snape? Mrs. Granger?"

"They are waiting for you in the small conference room, Mrs. Tonks," she replied after consulting her log.

Andromeda started down the hall, then turned back, "Please send Mrs. Dursley through when she arrives. We should be ready for her. Please take her bags and make them portable. We will pick them up on our way out. Did Percy leave the tickets and passports with you?"

"I will do that, Mrs. Tonks," Tracy replied. "Here are the tickets, passports, visas and the company credit cards for the others."

"Thank you."

Andromeda continued down the hall after putting all the documents into her bag. She opened the door to the conference room and stepped through. Seated at the table were Administrative Assistant, Percy Weasley, Chief Potioneer, Master Severus Snape, and Director of Pharmaceutical Research, Jean Granger. They had a beautiful coffee cake on the table in front of them and a cup of tea each. "You have been visiting your mother recently, Percy, have you not?" Andromeda greeted the trio. "Good morning all." She shrugged out of the cloak and put it with her bag on an empty chair in the corner of the room.

"Yes, Mrs. Tonks," Percy answered and pushed a cup of tea and a copy of the agenda toward her.

Severus grumbled, took a copy of the agenda and put a piece of coffee cake on a plate. "I have to be back to the lab in 26 minutes to put knotgrass in a potion. Let's keep this meeting on schedule."

"Yes, Severus," Andromeda answered sweetly.

"Tell us more about this 'Outside Services Representative' you have hired," Jean asked.

"More like 'Muggle Mix-up'," Severus said under his breath.

"Just because you have history with her, it doesn't mean neither of you are the same person you were thirty years ago," the boss admonished. She began the meeting, "As you know, I will be visiting all of the branches of the corporation under the guise of my 'World Tour'. We have to do this to acquaint my sister with the business if she is to become a useful member of the company. Mrs. Dursley will be my liaison with muggle side of the areas. I will be introducing her to everyone, and she will be contacting you with updates and concerns at every stage. I know that she has never had a job before this, but she is very good at looking at situations and people and sizing them up."

"Nosy snoop," Severus muttered and sipped his tea.

"She is organized and can handle business luncheons and social situations," Andromeda went on ignoring him.

"Plenty of practice making that walrus look good," Severus bit out. He reached for another piece of coffee cake.

Jean and Percy looked at each other wondering what was going on. Both were oblivious to the history between the Potions Master and the new Assistant. "Okay, let me explain—Mrs. Dursley and Severus grew up in the same town and there was some bad blood between the two of them. Petunia's sister was Lily Evans Potter. (Severus flinched at the name.) She was quite jealous of her sister being a witch and Lily's friendship with Severus. As a child she tended to bully her sister and tattle to her parents A LOT. After the deaths of Lily and James, Headmaster Dumbledore placed Harry in her custody, a decision that was not well thought out because of the animosity between Petunia and Lily. Petunia's ex-husband has an extreme prejudice against anything he considers not normal, especially witches and wizards. After the Dursleys had been relocated to a safe house during the war, Vernon became more belligerent and physically as well as verbally abusive. Petunia and Dudley, their son, became more sympathetic to our side and the members of the Order who were trying to protect them. Petunia divorced Vernon immediately after being returned to their home after the war. Her position as the wife of a Director of Grunnings, a drill manufacturer, and the entertaining involved makes her uniquely prepared for the muggle liaison of the corporation. After the completion of her probation and community service, I am looking to hire Narcissa Malfoy to be her magical counterpart hence the necessity of the women being together."

Percy cringed at the last statement. He was still not comfortable with the blonde witch even though she was his bosses' sister and the witch who saved Harry Potter. Severus leaned back in his chair and sipped his tea. He turned on his 'spy radar' and decided the situation could be intriguing. Taking a bite of the cake and closing his eyes feinting enjoyment, he began to think over the situation. Jean looked quizzically around the room. The prospect of another muggle working for the firm was a definite plus, but she also reserved judgment and turned her focus to Severus. She wanted to see his reactions. Percy rose to answer the rap on the door. "Please come in, Mrs. Dursley," he invited.

"Thank you for seeing me," the tall, thin blonde with an angular face responded. She held her head high as she entered, but Severus, with his previous knowledge of the woman, could tell that she was scared, and her knees were shaking. She held her purse a little too tight, and her voice was just slightly pinched. "Please call me Petunia or Ms. Evans," she asked. "My divorce is final. I have taken my maiden name back."

"Have a seat, Ms. Evans," Andromeda offered the chair next to her. "Would you like a cup of tea? May we call you Petunia?"

Petunia nodded and softly answered, "Yes, I would be honored. I would like tea with a splash of milk, please."

Percy handed her the cup and saucer. Andromeda made the introductions leaving Severus for last. "I don't think you will be dealing with Severus often, but I felt you should be re-introduced."

"It's a pleasure to meet you again, Severus," Petunia responded to the introduction.

"And you, Petunia," he clipped.

After covering the goals for the trip and the itinerary, Andromeda asked, "Percy, will you give Petunia her mobile? The contacts have been updated with the company officers and departments. Do you have any questions?"

Petunia nodded, "I'm certain I'll have questions later, but I'm overwhelmed right now."

Andromeda agreed, "You are correct in that. You may give Dudley your number so that he can contact you while you are away. Also, give him Percy's number for an emergency contact. Have you brought your bags, Petunia?" At Petunia's nod she said, "If that is all, we'll adjourn. We'll see you in Montreal. Are you bringing Richard, Jean?" At the nod from the lady, she said, "It will be good to see him again." She rose, grabbed her cloak and bag, and the file folder with the itinerary. She pushed the folder into the bag and put the cloak over her shoulders. Petunia was fast behind her.

They stopped at reception to pick up Petunia's luggage which Tracy had put a featherweight charm on, then had shrunk. Andromeda took them from the counter and put them into her bag also. "Have a nice trip, Mrs. Tonks," Tracy said.

"I will, and you take care of yourself."

They walked toward the fireplace. "Have you travelled by floo?" The witch asked.

"No, but I am aware of the concept because of Lily and Harry," the muggle lady answered. "They also used it from time to time in the safe house, but it was mostly warded against entry or calls."

Andromeda took a small handful of floo powder and held out the pot of green dust to Petunia. "Just step into the firebox and throw down the powder and clearly say 'Tonks Main House'. You will be swept away and come out into the entry of my home. I will be right behind you. Please step out of the fireplace quickly so I don't run into you. My sister or house elf will meet you there."

With a whoosh Petunia was gone. With a second whoosh she was landing in a beautiful foyer. "Please let me help you," a beautiful platinum blonde offered a hand. Petunia was stunned but accepted the help since her knees were a little shaky and her stomach a little queasy. Immediately behind her, Andromeda landed and stepped out with an easy of familiarity.

"Petunia, this is my sister, Narcissa Malfoy," Andromeda introduced her. "Narcissa, this is Petunia Evans who will be travelling with us. I will explain more while we travel." She took Petunia's luggage from her bag and reversed the shrinking and featherweight spells. "We will leave this here until the service comes for it. I assume the carry-on has everything you will need tonight." She hung her cloak in the closet and held her hand out, "May I take your coat?"

Petunia shrugged off the coat and handed it to Andromeda. "Thank you. Yes, the carry-on has all I need."

"Bobby," the brown-haired witch called. When an elf wearing black livery popped into the room she said, "Bobby, this is Ms. Evans who will be travelling with us. She is to be in the suite I asked you to prepare." She turned to Petunia, "Would you like to freshen up before lunch? Bobby can show you to your room. We will be having lunch in the Morning Room at the end of this hall when you are ready."

Andromeda hung the coat in the closet and pulled out three more bags and a folding pushchair. She turned to Narcissa and said, "I will have Bobby bring my bags down tonight along with most of Teddy's. One of the good things about first class travel is the number of bags you can bring. That and the amount of room we will have since the flight is quite long."

She started down the hall, expecting Narcissa to follow her because she continued the conversation. "Petunia is Harry's aunt. Her sister was Lily Evans when she was at Hogwarts. Did you know her?"

"She's a muggle, Meda," Cissy pointed out. "I didn't know Lily, wouldn't have had any need to back then. I did know of her. Pretty red-head with bright green eyes in Sirius' year? Gryffindor wasn't she?"

"Yes, she's a muggle. Yes, she had red hair and emerald eyes that Severus loved. He didn't like the fact that she was a Gryffindor." She sat in a chintz covered arm chair and put her feet up on the small footstool. She sighed thinking how she would miss this cheerful, sunny room.

Cissy stretched out on a matching chaise next to her and watched as Hobby popped in and out of the room setting up the luncheon table with china spotted with delicate flowers that matched the curtains. With a last pop she appeared and set the baby chair next to the table. She looked over at her sister who had picked up Teddy from his play-cot and was making funny faces at him. He was laughing back, his hair changing from blue to brown and back to blue. "I could just do this for the rest of my life," she sighed.

"No, Cissy, you couldn't," the older sister said. "You would be bored with the leisure."

"You're right. Tell me about the meeting you had to go to and Ms. Evans."

"What do you know about Malfoy Potions and Pharmaceuticals?"

"Well, to begin, when did Pharmaceuticals become appended to the name?"

"About three and a half years ago," Andromeda answered.

"Well, it was one of the main sources of income for the Malfoy family because it is wholly owned and operated by Lucius and Abraxas before him. Draco was to be the next. It is known for the quality, sometimes questionable, of the potions it makes and sells at a considerable profit to the Malfoy family," Narcissa responded.

"Ok-a-y. There are a few differences now. During the last rise of Voldemort (Narcissa cringed at the name), Lucius was having trouble raising money and took out loans. Ted, with my blessing, was buying those loans with my inheritance from Uncle Alphard under the corporate name ABT Inc. When I started helping, we started foreclosing on the loans and taking shares of Malfoy Potions as payment. When I reached fifty percent ownership, I filed papers changing the name and focus to include muggle Pharmaceuticals."

"Surely Lucius noticed," Narcissa worried. She glanced toward the door as Petunia entered.


	5. 3 January 1999 part 2

3 January (part 2)

"Are you hungry?" Andromeda asked her guests. She rose and took the baby to his chair. After buckling him in, she sat in the chair to his right. Narcissa sat to the left of the baby and Petunia was across from him. "Hobby," she called her elf. "We are ready for lunch." Petunia was surprised to see a summer salad with salmon appear before them. The greens and vegetables were definitely out of season. She assumed they cost a fortune until Andromeda said, "We have extensive greenhouses out back which have almost every offering you can imagine. I will miss this when travelling."

"You were telling me how the Pharmaceuticals got into my husband's company," Narcissa reminded her sister as she took a forkful of fresh greens.

"Excuse me," Petunia interrupted, "but are you the Malfoy in Malfoy Potions and Pharmaceuticals?" She addressed Narcissa.

"No, that was my husband before he went to prison. Now it seems that it belongs to my sister and the Ministry of Magic," she replied.

"That's not quite right," Andromeda said. "According to the Reparations Act, the Ministry is only entitled to half of any imprisoned person's property. The other half goes to the spouses and heirs, but not while they are under house arrest, probation, or prescribed community service. There were going to be too many indigent spouses and children that the Ministry would have to support. It was argued that there was a joint property rule in some places in the muggle world and half of property owned by a couple went to each upon divorce. This was the pattern used." She went on to explain that Severus and Hermione Granger had purchased the Ministry's nineteen percent of MPP. In addition, Severus and she had jointly purchased the Ministry's half Malfoy Wineries and Vineyards.

"If Lucius knows, he will never tell without Veritaserum. He is probably livid," Narcissa commented, showing no remorse and just a little joy at the idea of a Muggleborn owning part of a Malfoy corporation.

"He knows, and they are following the leads. He was livid. There is nothing he can do for the next one hundred years, when he is eligible for parole. He pretends that Severus is the only owner of his former holdings." Andromeda went on to explain the premise of the World Tour and Cissy's introduction into the non-magical world along with new MPP Outside Services Representative, Ms. Evans. "This position will be working to obtain a partnership between MPP and smaller companies that are wanting to do cutting-edge research and have a need for a larger corporation for backing. We will be allowing them to maintain their independence for the most part for a share of the profits when seen. We will be allowed to use the findings to do cross research with our products. The ultimate goal is to make better potions and pharmaceuticals available at a more reasonable price to everyone, magic or not."

"You are free to travel, Ms. Evans?" Narcissa asked. "Don't you have children?"

"Petunia, please," she answered, "Only Dudley who is attending university. He is studying social work. With my divorce I find I need an occupation."

Cissy laughed, "You really don't need to sell us. You should eat your lunch, though because I heard there would be a trifle for tea."

The luncheon was finished in a comfortable silence until Teddy began to fuss as he had finished his dinner and tired of playing with his spoon.

"I'm going to take him upstairs to his bed. After that I will finish my packing. I will see you in the Library for tea."

Narcissa rose and invited Petunia to follow her through to the Library where they could get acquainted.

Andromeda sat in a rocking chair and sang softly to the little boy. Travelling and doing business with a toddler in tow would prove interesting, but she could not bear leaving the lad behind. She watched Hobby silently pack most of the toddler's clothes in a large bag to check and leaving several changes along with nappies and to go into the carry-on which would hold his food, favorite toys and a special blanket. Hobby was shrinking some of the clothing to take up less space but leaving enough so they would not draw attention if someone were to inspect the bag. By the time the packing was done, Teddy was sound asleep. Hobby took the bag down to leave in the foyer. Andromeda put the baby in his cot, then adjourned to the library where the other ladies were getting acquainted.

The doorbell rang promptly at 17:00 and Andromeda went to greet the service that was retrieving the luggage for the ladies and baby. It wouldn't do to have a house elf answer the door in a muggle neighborhood. She returned to the room and laughed, "He couldn't believe that it wasn't heavier. I just said that we planned on shopping and the bags were half full. Luckily, I had time to take the feather-weight charm off the rest while he was putting the first load into the back of his van. I walked out with the second load and took the charm off the bags already in there. We need to remember that at every stop." Narcissa nodded in agreement.

They continued talking about the goals for the trip until Andromeda retired and brought Teddy down after his nap. He had played on the play mat and babbled a separate conversation. "What arrangements have you made for Teddy while we are all in meetings or events?" Petunia asked.

"Tracy is interviewing nannies with the help of Jean as the one I had hired backed out yesterday. She knows what I require. She has also contacted MACUSA for one in New York. If I can find a suitable nanny, we may just make them a part of our party. If we cannot, we will just hire one at each location. We will be staying in MPP apartments each stop or hotel suites. The nanny will have her or his own room at each stop and Teddy will stay with me."

Petunia was confused. "MPP has apartments?" she asked.

"Yes, Lucius didn't want to stay in something as pedestrian as a hotel when he visited his various plants. He had his wealth and was sure to flaunt it whenever he could," Cissy answered. "Hotels were for junior management visits."

"We are going to new areas and will be looking for new sources for potions ingredients. Also, he has not dealt with non-magical pharma," Andromeda added.

The discussion continued over dinner, but the ladies and Teddy turned in early for a long day coming up. The flight would be eight plus hours and get them into New York. With the five hour time difference they would need to have a day to sleep and deal with jet lag.


End file.
